Last year, the Japanese Pokémon Center launched its "PSYCHO CYBER" merchandise series, themed around Psychic-type Pokémon. The absolute standout was the "Life-Sized Gardevoir Hugging Plushie," which became an instant hit, leading to a fun trend of buyers showing off their new acquisition.
Recently, however, a post on X (formerly Twitter) from BOOK OFF Ikebukuro's official account revealed they had received a second-hand "Life-Sized Gardevoir Plushie" in store. Priced at a whopping 145,000 JPY, this sky-high second-hand price immediately sparked heated discussion among netizens, who jokingly asked who had "used up" their "wife" and put her up for sale...
Just to clarify, there's currently no word on a restock for the "Life-Sized Gardevoir Hugging Plushie," so it's been essentially out of print since its release last year. This particular second-hand item at BOOK OFF was listed at roughly three times its original price of 49,500 JPY. So, after about a year of "use," someone actually managed to make a 100,000 JPY profit!
Typically, plushies don't hold much value in the second-hand market; they often sell for less than their original price, sometimes even half off. But this life-sized Gardevoir is a rare gem. Many netizens even joked that it might need a UV light check for any "unusual usage marks."
While everyone was still scratching their heads, wondering who would buy a second-hand plushie at a 100,000 JPY markup, the official X account updated the very next day: it was already sold! Less than 24 hours later, someone had already taken it home. Talk about surprising popularity!
Selling out so quickly, and at such an outrageous price, just goes to show Gardevoir's immense popularity. Even a pre-owned item can be a hot commodity. Netizens playfully commented, "Is this a remarriage?" and "Does this count as stealing someone else's wife?"
So, would *you* be willing to take home a second-hand "wife" ( ? )